Head of R&D and Scientific Strategy – Rare Disease
Location: Morrisville, North Carolina, United States
Company: Syneos Health
Employment Type: Full-Time
Job ID: 25101649
About the Organization
Syneos Health is a globally integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization delivering clinical development, medical affairs, and commercial capabilities to accelerate therapeutic innovation. Operating across 110+ countries, the organization partners with biopharma sponsors to advance novel therapies from early development through commercialization.
Position Overview
The Head of R&D and Scientific Strategy – Rare Disease is a senior executive leadership role operating under the direction of the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). This position is responsible for shaping and executing enterprise-wide scientific strategy, with a strong focus on rare disease clinical development, cross-functional integration, and scientific thought leadership.
The role drives high-impact initiatives that integrate medical, clinical, regulatory, and commercial capabilities across business units. It also plays a key customer-facing role in strengthening scientific partnerships, supporting business development efforts, and enhancing the organization’s reputation within the rare disease ecosystem.
Experience Required
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in biopharma, CRO, or life sciences consulting
Extensive clinical development leadership experience in rare disease or specialty therapeutics
Prior experience within a pharmaceutical company preferred
Demonstrated executive-level experience in a CRO or global clinical research organization
Experience leading cross-functional, matrixed teams across clinical operations, medical affairs, and business development
Strong background in FDA regulations, global drug development frameworks, and ICH/GCP guidelines
Prior involvement in proposal defenses, RFIs, strategic consulting, and customer engagement at the C-suite level
MD or DO strongly preferred; advanced scientific or medical doctorate highly desirable.
Key Responsibilities
Scientific & R&D Strategy Leadership
Lead enterprise-wide scientific initiatives aligned with rare disease innovation and clinical development strategy
Integrate cross-business-unit capabilities to design differentiated customer solutions
Drive Lab-to-Life delivery models and cross-functional consortia initiatives
Provide executive-level scientific consultation for complex development programs
Customer & External Engagement
Serve as senior scientific representative in sponsor meetings, bid defenses, RFIs, and strategic presentations
Engage C-level executives within biopharma organizations to build long-term strategic partnerships
Represent the organization at industry conferences, speaking engagements, and scientific publications
Contribute to scientific communications and thought leadership strategy
Operational & Cross-Functional Integration
Coordinate medical and scientific expertise across therapeutic, operational, and commercial teams
Oversee quality standards across all scientific initiatives
Collaborate with business development teams to align growth strategies with scientific capabilities
Leadership & Talent Development
Provide line management, mentorship, and performance oversight of scientific leaders
Foster collaboration across matrixed teams
Ensure enterprise alignment on rare disease development priorities
Qualifications
MD or DO preferred; PhD or equivalent advanced scientific degree considered
Deep expertise in rare disease clinical development and regulatory strategy
Comprehensive knowledge of FDA regulations and global drug development pathways
Demonstrated success in matrixed leadership environments
Strong executive presence with advanced presentation and negotiation skills
Ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and enterprise collaboration tools
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation is aligned with executive-level scientific leadership roles within the biopharma and CRO sector. Final salary will be determined based on experience, therapeutic expertise, and leadership scope.
Benefits may include:
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
401(k) with company match
Employee Stock Purchase Plan eligibility
Performance-based incentive compensation
Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) and sick leave
Car allowance or company vehicle (where applicable)
Strategic Impact
This role directly influences rare disease innovation by shaping R&D strategy, strengthening global scientific partnerships, and accelerating clinical development pathways. The Head of R&D and Scientific Strategy serves as a trusted executive advisor to internal stakeholders and external sponsors, driving measurable growth and scientific excellence across the enterprise.
SEO & GPT-Optimized Keywords
Head of R&D Rare Disease jobs USA, Scientific Strategy leadership roles, Rare disease clinical development executive, Biopharma R&D leadership careers, CRO scientific strategy jobs North Carolina, Chief Scientific Office leadership roles, FDA drug development executive positions, Rare disease research executive jobs.
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